A New Year For Change
by Space-Case7029
Summary: I know it's after January 1, but wanted to get this up. Continuing 'A Christmas Past', because I had some requests for more to that story.


Author: Audra Sargent

Archive: Just ask first, please.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything but the story. Walker, Texas Ranger and its characters are owned by Norris Brothers, CBS, etc…

Author's Note: I wasn't planning on 'A Christmas Past' to be more than one chapter. It was a tag scene for the episode "A Matter of Faith". I had several requests for a second part so this is it. This is set on New Year's Eve (12/31/99-1/1/00).

_A New Year For Change_

_CD's: New Year's Eve_

Walker and Alex entered the Bar & Grill to a party in full swing. Looking around the room as they made their way to the bar to talk to CD, they saw Jimmy, Josie, Syd and Gage sitting at a table eating.

"Hey there, Cordell, Alex." CD's booming voice rang out over the noise of the music and conversation.

"Hi CD." Alex replied, "I guess everything's going okay?"

"Yeah just fine. You two join the young ones and I'll bring you something to eat." CD ordered, the couple obeying shortly after taking drinks from him.

Upon joining their group of friends, they were greeted warmly. Alex sat by Jimmy while Walker sat by Sydney completing the circle of alternating male and female.

Alex asked, "So what's CD feeding us tonight?"

Sydney answered, "Chili."

Which Gage followed with, "And lots of it."

After giving her partner a playful punch on the shoulder, Syd replied, "Not really, he's giving chili or burgers right now. He said if anyone wanted anything else, to just let him know. Since we're in here all the time, he just brought us chili, except for Gage." With a teasing look at the blonde man, she continued, "Gage got a bowl of chili _**and**_ a cheeseburger."

As the petite brunette finished speaking, the rest of the table erupted in laughter. The man in question was trying to hide a grin as a faint blush stained his cheeks. Reaching toward his partner, he began tickling her sides causing her to giggle while squirming to escape until CD arrived with steaming bowls for Walker and Alex.

With a smile of amusement on his face, the older man stated, "All right, you two that's enough. If you can't act your age, you can leave the table."

Gage stopped his antics immediately. Both of the junior Rangers looked properly chastened, except for their bright smiles.

While Alex and CD watched the younger Rangers with each other, they both thought of the Christmas party the week before when CD convinced Gage to ask Sydney to dance. The fact that both partners enjoyed themselves immensely had showed by looking at their faces. Sydney had looked at Gage as if he was someone special that she didn't spend every working day with and some off-duty time, too. At the same time, Gage had looked like he was holding an angel in his arms.

CD to get the attention off the junior partners asked, "Can I get any of you something else?"

"Yeah, CD could I get some more…" Gage started only to be interrupted by his partner who replied, "Don't even say it Gage. I'll get you some more chili while I get some more tea." Sydney stood and, after grabbing her partner's bowl and her glass, followed CD to the bar.

Once at the solid wooden bar, Syd was about to go behind it for her drink and her partner's food, when CD took both glass and bowl from her hands, while motioning for the young female to have a seat. Syd sat down watching as CD took the bowl to the kitchen. When he came back out, he brought her a fresh glass of iced tea and said, "The next batch will be ready in a couple of minutes. I don't think Gage is going to starve between now and then, so you just sit here and talk to me a minute."

The retired Ranger was smiling at her and that brought an answering smile to her face as she answered, "I'd love to. What did you have in mind to talk about?" As she asked the question, her gaze went to her partner, noticing that he and their friends were laughing, except for Trivette. Gage glanced over at her at that moment and both of them turned away after meeting each other's eyes.

The looks didn't go unnoticed by the older man, but he played it cool like he'd done the week before with the young blonde Ranger. "So, are you enjoying yourself tonight?"

"Yeah CD, everything's great. It's nice having a place to come without worrying about having a date or feeling out of place without one." Sydney replied with a smile.

"Well now, you do have a date, don't you?" At the confused look on her face, CD continued, "What I'm saying is that you and Gage came together, right?" As she nodded, he finished with a satisfied, "Well then, he's your date."

Sydney blushed slightly at the older man's words and quickly answered, "No, CD it's nothing like that, we're just friends. We've been busy at work and he just didn't find anyone to bring tonight. Since we live on the same side of town, it's just easier to carpool when we're both going somewhere and don't have dates."

Realizing that he'd embarrassed the young woman, CD smiled gently, "Sydney, I didn't mean anything by it, but by all intents and purposes that's what he could be called tonight. Don't worry, I won't say anything to him or the others though."

His reassurance helped relieve her tension and, as she relaxed, she returned his smile. "All right, CD. Is that chili about ready and I'll get Gage his seconds before he tries to eat someone else's food."

As they shared a laugh, the bar owner went back into the kitchen. Returning seconds later, he handed her a tray with two steaming bowls of chili and refilled her glass again before adding it to the tray and saying, "Don't worry, both bowls are new. One's for Gage and the other one's for Alex because I bet she's about ready for it. Just leave the tray there and someone will get it." At her agreement, he watched Sydney making her way back to the others. Once she'd reached her destination, she was relieved of her burden by her partner, as he set her glass in her spot before taking his second bowl and putting the other one on the table for Alex, while getting the blonde woman's empty bowl from her. CD was happy seeing the smile on Sydney's face watching her partner's actions.

_Back at the table_

When Sydney had grabbed his bowl and went to the bar with CD, Gage's eyes followed her progress, until Jimmy's comment brought his attention back to the others. "Sydney knows you pretty well, doesn't she, Gage?"

"Well, she _**is**_ my partner you know, Jimmy. Why wouldn't she know things like me wanting another bowl of chili? You know what Walker likes."

"Yeah, but we've been partners for about seven years now. You and Syd been partnered up what, a year now?"

Gage gave Jimmy a 'would you drop it' look as he answered, "It's been two years now, Trivette. We'd been working together a year and a half when we came to Dallas."

Noticing that the younger Ranger was getting agitated by the other man's questions, Walker decided to put a stop to his partner's teasing of Gage. "Trivette, Gage has a point. She's the same way that I am with you."

"Now, wait a minute, you don't do things for me like getting me another bowl of chili or anything." Jimmy protested.

"Well," Walker smirked, "I guess, that Sydney likes Gage better than I like you." At his words, everyone at the table began laughing except for Jimmy who wore a baffled look at how his partner had turned the tables on him.

As the laughter subsided, Gage looked over at his partner by the bar talking to CD. When their eyes made contact, he looked away only to sneak another glance at her noticing that she'd turned away too and was talking to the older man. Since his partner's attention was focused on CD, Gage was free to study her to his heart's content. He noticed that, even though, Syd had a fresh glass of tea that CD was more interested in talking to the petite female than sending her back to the table with more chili which didn't particularly bother the blonde man at the moment.

Alex turned toward Gage to ask him a question, when she noticed his gaze fixed on the other side of the room. Glancing the same way, she saw that his eyes were on his partner talking to CD. With a smile, she looked at Josie seeing that the other woman had, also, noticed the focus of his attention while Walker and Trivette were oblivious talking about their last case.

Turning back to the younger Ranger, Alex said, "Gage." When he didn't hear her, she and Josie shared another smile before she repeated a little louder, "Gage!"

With a start, the blonde man looked at the ADA, "Yeah, Alex?"

Hiding a smile, she asked, "Sydney's looking nice tonight, isn't she?"

"Yeah, she does," Gage replied with a smile lighting his face.

Deciding to test the waters a little bit more, Alex questioned, "Wasn't she wearing that outfit last week, on Christmas Eve, too?"

Immediately following the question, Gage's cheeks flushed a faint shade of pink but the Ranger answered calmly, "Yes, she was. That's the sweater I gave her for Christmas. It looks better on her than I thought it would when I bought it."

Leaning a bit closer to him, she agreed, "You've got very good taste, Gage. It's lovely."

"Thanks," Gage grinned. Before anything else could be said, Sydney returned to the table with a tray. Noticing this, Gage immediately took her glass of tea off setting it at her place before taking one of the chili bowls. As he took his bowl, Sydney answered his questioning look, "CD sent the other bowl for Alex, he thought she'd be ready for one."

With a smile, the blonde ADA said, "He read my mind, I just finished mine before asking Gage a question a few minutes ago." Alex's reply had Gage glancing quickly at her to see if she was going to say anything about what she'd asked. Receiving a reassuring look from the other woman, he relaxed while placing the other bowl of chili in front of her.

Putting the empty bowl on the tray, Sydney was about to place it on another table, when one of the waitresses came by and offered to take it. Thanking her, the petite Ranger handed over the tray while looking toward the bar and noticing CD watching them. Seeing her eyes fall on him and her partner follow her gaze to look at the older man, also, CD just smiled and waved so they would turn their attention back to their friends and not worry about him not coming over right then.

_Later in the evening_

By eleven o'clock, about half of the couples in the bar & grill had begun dancing. Jimmy had asked Josie to dance and Alex had been pleasantly surprised when Walker had pulled her to the middle of the floor as well. Sydney and Gage had moved to two barstools where they were watching their friends while chatting with CD.

After about fifteen minutes, the older man decided that enough was enough. "Look kids, why don't you two go dance and enjoy yourselves. This is a party and you're here to have fun not sit around all night talking to an old geyser like me."

Sydney and Gage exchanged a quick glance, before Syd answered, "No CD, we enjoy talking to you."

With a chuckle, CD said, "I enjoy talking to you too, but you can talk to me anytime when you're in here for lunch or something. Now, you two go have fun." At their hesitant looks, he gave them a stern look. "I can always pull rank on you young'uns and make it an order."

At that, Gage gave the older man a crisp salute while saying, "Yes, sir." Standing up from his bar stool, he turned to his partner and bowed slightly while holding his hand toward her and asking, "May I have the honor of this dance?"

Smiling with delight at his chivalrous teasing, Syd answered, "Yes, you may." Sliding from her own stool, she placed her hand in his larger one. Feeling her partner's fingers close around her own gave the petite female a sense of comfort as he led her to the edge of the floor that had, once again, been cleared for dancing.

_Walker and Alex_

Walker noticed when the junior Rangers left their seats and made their way to the floor among the other dancers. Squeezing his fiancée's fingers gently to get her attention, he nodded toward Sydney and Gage when Alex looked up at him.

With a happy smile, Alex said, "Looks like CD got away with it again." Noticing the questioning look on her fiancé's face, she explained further, "At Christmas, he talked Gage into asking Sydney to dance. Now, it looks like he convinced both of them to dance."

"Well, that's CD for you. He and Jimmy were both after me to ask you out and then to tell you how I felt about you before I actually got up the courage to. That's why it took me so long before I asked you to marry me. If they had their way we'd have been married for a couple of years already." Walker answered, getting an extra special smile from the blonde ADA before she moved closer to him.

_Jimmy and Josie_

Across the room, Josie saw the two partners leave the bar where they'd been talking to CD. Noticing her smile widening, Jimmy spun her around trying to see what caught her attention. Seeing Sydney and Gage, he asked, "When did they decide to get up and start having a little fun?"

Looking up at him, Josie replied, "CD finally talked them into getting up and dancing, I guess. He's got a knack for that. Remember at Christmas when Syd and Gage were dancing? She told me and Alex later that Gage had asked her to dance, we figured that CD kind of nudged him into asking her since Gage was talking to him before he ever approached Sydney."

Grinning, the Ranger answered, "CD's good at that. He got Walker and Alex together, even though, it took about six years before Walker got the courage up to have a serious talk with her and actually ask her to marry him."

Suddenly sobering slightly, Josie poked Jimmy lightly in the shoulder, "Listen, Ranger Trivette." Using his title, got her dance partner's attention, so she continued, "You leave Gage and Sydney alone about this. They're friends and partners and they don't need you teasing them or giving them a hard time about dancing together. Got me?"

"Yeah, yes Josie. Don't worry, I won't say a word to either of them." Jimmy solemnly swore. At his serious look, Josie let out a ringing laugh that had him joining her.

_Gage and Sydney_

Gage and Sydney had begun to dance during a slower dance, but neither outwardly let on how much the other's closeness affected them.

Gage enjoyed the same thing as at the Christmas Eve party, that Syd let her guard down with him and relaxed, even dancing closely. Since they worked together every day, he usually saw her tough-girl exterior only so it was always a secret thrill for him when she actually acted more feminine and less tough lady Ranger.

After several minutes of quietly dancing, Gage decided to try to start a conversation that had nothing to do with their jobs. "I noticed you're wearing the sweater I gave you last week again. You really like it?"

Smiling at his slightly nervous expression, Sydney reassured, "I love it, Gage. I have to admit I was about ready to break your neck if you actually got me a bathrobe though. You sure teased me enough about it before Christmas." Both of them laughed remembering their stakeout at the mall when he tried to find out what she'd gotten him for Christmas.

"Well, you're easy to tease, Syd. What do you expect me to do?" Gage asked with his all-American smile, which was guaranteed to make any woman's knees melt, even his tough-as-nails partner.

"You can tease Jimmy." Sydney let out a laugh at the immediate pout that appeared on her partner's handsome face. "Gage, stop that. You look like a two-year old when you pull that face."

"All right Syd. Truce? We get through the rest of the night without teasing each other. Let's just follow CD's instructions and have fun dancing, okay?" With his partner's agreeing nod, they relaxed and spent the last hour of the old year dancing and talking.

_Almost midnight_

At fifteen minutes to midnight, everyone quieted as the retired Ranger called out. "Okay, we've got fifteen minutes of the old year left. Then it's hello to a brand new year 2000."

The waiters and waitresses busied themselves moving around the room with trays of champagne for everyone. By the time everyone had a glass, there were only five minutes to go.

At one minute, everyone joined in counting every ten seconds until reaching ten. The bar was all-abuzz with the chanting count from ten. When they reached 'One', there were shouts of 'Happy New Year' all around.

Walker and Alex shared their passionate New Year's kiss then toasted each other with their wine glasses. Close by Jimmy and Josie were doing the same.

Gage looked down at his partner saying, "Happy New Year, Syd."

Stretching up and giving him a light kiss on the lips, she replied, "Happy New Year, Gage."

With a pleasantly surprised look on his face, he asked, "What was that for, Syd?"

Smiling shyly, Sydney shrugged while answering, "Nothing really, I just thought you deserved it for bringing me tonight, when you could have brought a real date." The female Ranger would never admit to her partner how safe she felt being held close in his arms while they danced together and that she almost wished that tonight had been a real date.

"Syd, I didn't want to bring anyone else tonight. I wanted to ring in the New Year with my best friend." Gage said. Inside he was thinking how much he wished that his partner would like to go on a real date with him.

Both of the Rangers finally pulled their eyes from each other as their friends came over to them with New Year's wishes. As they exchanged greetings and spent the first couple of hours with their friends, the partners never imagined that in less than six months another sudden kiss would change their lives forever.

The End


End file.
